Tour Details

Durations : 2 Night / 3 Days

Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, let your senses soothe in cool environs of Pondicherry. A former French colony, Pondicherry is known for its calm and serene beaches. With this holiday package, stay at Welcome Heritage Calve and experience spiritually at the world famous Aurbindo Ashram and Auroville. Be blessed with a lot of peace and enjoy the facilities of this heritage hotel. Comfortable rooms, efficient amenities and good services will make you feel at home. So, book now and gear up for an unforgettable holiday experience!

PONDICHERRY
This curious little town seems to have its own guardian sea, lashing the boulevard with froth and roars. Divided into two with a canal built by the French, the city has two distinct flavors - the old colonial charm of the French and the native colors of hinterland.

Don't Miss:
The one place that Pondicherry is renowned for around the world is the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Auroville, 10 kilometres away. Famous for its quiet concentration centre, Matrimandir, which is built in the form of a globe, the township has citizens from all parts of the world staying together.

Package Inclusion

Accommodation for 2 nights in Chettinad Room on twin-sharing basis

Daily breakfast at the hotel

Complimentary full-day sightseeing with visit to Auroville City in an exclusive air conditioned Indica or similar vehicle

The offer is not valid on Independence Day weekend and cannot be combined with any other offer

All taxes

Remarks

All prices quoted per person on twin sharing basis in Indian Rupees. Rates are applicable for a minimum of two (2) persons travelling at one time. Rates valid for Indian Nationals only

Rates subject to change without notice depending on currency fluctuation.

Rates are based on Standard category of rooms.

Rates not valid during conventions and special events.

In case carrier is Air Asia, package price does not include charges for checked baggage and meals.

Destination Information

ABOUT THE TERRITORY:
TAMIL NADU is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Puducherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The Eastern Ghats in the north, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Palakkad bind it on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait in the south east, and by the Indian Ocean in the south.

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh largest state in India by area and the seventh most populous state. It is the fourth largest contributor (as of 2010) to India's GDP and ranks tenth in Human Development Index as of 2006. Tamil Nadu is also the most urbanized state in India. The state has the highest number (10.56%) of business enterprises and stands second in total employment (9.97%) in India, compared to the population share of about 6%.

Tamil Nadu has 10 City Corporations: Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Tirunelveli, Erode, Tirupur, Vellore and Thoothukudi. There is a plan to upgrade Nagercoil and Thanjavur as City Corporations. The Corporation of Chennai, established in 1688, is the oldest Municipal Corporation not only in India but also in any commonwealth nations outside United Kingdom.

RELIGION:
The main religions in Tamilnadu are Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Jainism. Hinduism, along with its various sects, is the oldest religion in the state. Hindus are followers of number of sectarian monastic institutions (called mathas). The most important Math of the state is the Shankara Math at Kumbakonam. The Hindus number most and are scattered in almost all parts of the state. In Tamilnadu, there is an established caste system, which is more pronounced than many other parts of the country. Like most parts of India, the Brahmin community in Tamilnadu is very pious. Besides Hinduism, other important religions that are practiced in the state are Christianity, Islam and Jainism. The history of Christianity and Islam is also very old in Tamil Nadu. The largest concentration of Christians is in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts of the state. The followers of Jain religion are confined to North and South Arcot and Chennai city.

CULTURE:
Tamil Nadu is at the heart of the Dravidian culture and tradition. The culture of Tamil Nadu had been developed and evolved over 2000 years, and it is still flourishing. The three great dynasties of Pandya, Pallavas and Cholas who ruled Tamil Nadu in the ancient India, played their major roles in developing this vibrant cultural tradition. During their reign, Tamil Nadu witnessed great strides in art, literature and architecture.
It also has a long tradition of venerable culture. Tamil Nadu is known for its rich tradition of literature, music and dance, which continue to flourish today. Unique cultural features like Bharatanatyam (dance), Tanjore painting, and Tamil architecture were developed and continue to be practiced in Tamil Nadu.

In Tamil Nadu, the spirit of festivity grips the state of affairs now and then. Tamils take classical music seriously, and they have a singular festival of Carnatic music, which is known as the Thyagaraja Festival. It is being held annually in the month of January, at the town of Thiruvariyar, which happens to be the birthplace of the famous singer and poet Thyagaraja. Besides of course, Dusshera, Diwali, Holi and Pongal are celebrated in the state, with lots of gaiety and grandeur.

CLIMATE:
Tamil Nadu is heavily dependent on monsoon rains, and thereby is prone to droughts when the monsoons fail. The climate of the state ranges from dry sub-humid to semi-arid. The state has three distinct periods of rainfall:

Advancing monsoon period, South West monsoon from June to September, with strong southwest winds

North East monsoon from October to December, with dominant northeast winds

Dry season from January to May.

The normal annual rainfall of the state is about 945 mm (37.2 in) of which 48% is through the North East monsoon, and 32% through the South West monsoon. Since the state is entirely dependent on rains for recharging its water resources, monsoon failures lead to acute water scarcity and severe drought.
Tamil Nadu is classified into seven agro-climatic zones: northeast, northwest, west, southern, high rainfall, high altitude hilly, and Cauvery Delta (the most fertile agricultural zone). The table below shows the maximum and minimum temperatures that the state experiences in the plains and hills.
Summer temperatures soars in the months between April-June and it may record up till 40 o C, and the high humidity percentage in the coastal areas adds more to the discomfort. But the unique aspect is that afternoon sea breezes bring relief and nights are mostly cooler than the day. This is the time to explore the hill stations of Tamil Nadu.
November –February are the months when Tamil Nadu experiences winter but temperature doesn't drop much and it's mostly around 20 o C.

LANGUAGE:
Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu state and one of the 18 languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution. Tamil is one of the classical languages of the world, with a rich heritage of literature. It is the most widely spoken language in Tamil Nadu. Besides Tamil Nadu, Tamil is also spoken by a number of people in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. The antiquity of Tamil is comparable to Sanskrit. Tamil is written in a derivative of the southern 'Brahmi' script. The alphabet of Tamil is unique (phonetic). That is, in Tamil language letters represent sounds, rather than ideas, as is the case in the 'Mandarin' language of China.

Tamil is spoken by most of the people while around ten percent of the people residing in Tamil Nadu speak Telugu. Other languages that are popular in the state are Kannada, Urdu and Malayalam (though they are spoken by much smaller percentage). The influence of the Malayalam language is more prominent in the west while people residing mostly in the North Eastern part, bordering Karnataka, speak Kannada. Besides the above-mentioned languages, English is also spoken as a subsidiary language in Tamil Nadu.

CUISINE OF TAMIL NADU:
Like all other South Indian states, Tamil Nadu is also known for a wide variety of delicious food both for the vegetarians as well as the non-vegetarians. Grains, lentils, rice and vegetables are the main ingredients of the traditional foods of Tamil Nadu. Spices add flavor and give a distinctive taste to the Tamil cuisines. Some of the most common and popular dishes of the region are idly, dosai, vada, pongal and Uppuma. Coconut chutney and sambhar invariably form a part of most of the Tamil dishes.
The typical Tamil breakfast includes dosai, which is a pancake made from a batter of rice, idly (steamed rice cakes) and lentils (crisp fried on a pan), vada (deep fried doughnuts prepared from a batter of lentils), pongal (a mash of rice and lentils boiled together and seasoned with cashew nuts, ghee, pepper and cummin seed), uppuma (cooked semolina seasoned in oil with mustard, pepper, cummin seed and dry lentils). These are the main local dishes but there are several variations that are eaten with coconut chutney and mulaga podi.

For lunch and the main course, the food consists of boiled rice, which is served with an assortment of vegetable dishes, sambar, chutneys, rasam (a hot broth prepared from tamarind juice and pepper) and curd. On the other hand, the non-vegetarian lunch and dinner include curries and dishes cooked with chicken, mutton or fish. Crispy Papad/Papar and appalam form an important part of a typical Tamil meal.

Filter coffee is a famous and popular beverage of the people of Tamil Nadu in general and Chennai in particular.

TOUR ATTRACTIONS:
Tamil Nadu, the southern most state of India, is one of the major tourist destinations of India. Famous for its fascinating cultural heritage, wonderful temples and colonial structures, enchanting beaches and hill stations, and the last but not least for its amazing wildlife, Tamil Nadu is the land of varied beauty and a wonderful tourists destination to be in. Thousands of tourists from all around the world visit Tamil Nadu every year and are rewarded with a fascinating holiday experience.
Tamil Nadu is not all about temples, but the state has much more to offer to its visitors. The state has some of the finest beaches of India, including the Marina Beach- the second longest beach in the world, Elliot's Beach, the Covelong Beach and Kanyakumari Beach, all of them offering perfect ambience and facilities for a range of leisure and recreational activities, including sunbathing, paragliding, surfing, swimming, parasailing etc. The hill stations Tamil Nadu are equally charming as are its beaches. Kodaikanal, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Yelagiri, Yercuad, and Udagamandalam boast some of the stunning landscapes in India. Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of India, is famous for its enchanting sunrise, has some of the picture perfect natural sceneries. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, then Tamil Nadu has a lot to offer you. It has some of the finest wildlife sanctuaries of India like Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Annamalai Wildlife Sanctuary and many more. The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is world-famous for its elephant populations, which can be seen moving in large herds, sometimes numbering into hundreds. Tigers, the king of jungles, can also be spotted in the parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu. The state also has a number of important eco-tourism destinations of India, including the famous Pitchavaram Mangrove Forests in Chidambaram
With so much of varieties to offer to its visitors, Tamil Nadu is a perfect tourist destination, waiting to be discovered by you. India At Its Best welcomes you to discover the fascinating Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Visit Tamil Nadu and discover its fascinating cultural heritage, wonderful temples and monuments, enchanting natural landscapes and amazing wildlife, which would indeed be a lifetime experience for you.

CONCLUSION:
Above details are prescribes as a pleasuring and attractive documents by our side. Hope we can able to make our customers satisfied through our online process and makes our customer feel happy with the journey of: THE WOUNDERFUL TAMIL NADU

Cost and Dates

Package Type: Price Per Person on Twin Sharing

INR 4,398/-

Validity: Valid From January 5, 2012 - April 12, 2012

(For other location please contact OR Send Query)

Hotel Details

Hotel: CALVE HERITAGE City: Pondicherry Star Category:
A 150 year old bungalow that has been beautifully restored and renovated without loss of its original essence, Calve Heritage Hotel boasts of French inspired architecture and Tamil heritage living

Rooms:
The hotel offers comfortable accommodation in 10 rooms and suites that provide modern conveniences in a traditional ambience. The rooms are appointed with amenities that include a LCD television, mini bar, direct dial telephone and safety deposit locker.

Dining:
Salle a manger, the in-house restaurant serves authentic Franco-Tamil Creole cuisine, which is referred to as Puducherry food.

Services & Facilities:
While the lobby is Wi-Fi enabled, the rooms are also equipped to provide internet access.

At Calve Heritage Hotel, a guests' comfort is of highest importance and the hotel prides itself on the warm hospitality that it provides to its guests.

Location:
Located just off MG Road, Calve Heritage Road is easily accessible. It enjoys proximity to all places of tourist interest within Pondicherry